Will Senator Clinton really support what Democrats set out in the platform for K-12 Education? Does this allow us to read the tea leaves for what kind of person she will pick for Secretary of Education or will the US be stuck with education reformer favorite John King if Senator Clinton wins the election?

Karen Wolfe posted yesterday several platform measures that passed relating to Charters, high-stakes testing, restorative justice and curriculum. You can watch the full discussion on the C-SPAN link.

Usually the platform is quite meaningless and it is not even debated all that much publicly, but at least Bernie appears to have positively impacted the outcome in a variety of areas. Here is what was added for K-12.

AMENDMENT 76 – Testing – passed unanimously

We are also deeply committed to ensuring that we strike a better balance on testing so that it informs but does not drive instruction. To that end, we encourage states to develop a multiple measures approach to assessment and we believe that standardized tests must meet American Statistical Association Standards for reliability and validity. We oppose high-stakes standardized tests that falsely and unfairly label students of color, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners as failing; the use of standardized test scores as a basis of refusing to fund schools or to close schools; and the use of student test scores in teacher and principal evaluations, a practice which has been repeatedly rejected by researchers. We also support enabling parents to opt their children out of standardized tests without penalty for either the student or the school.

Amendment #77 – A comprehensive curriculum – passed unanimously

We will invest in high quality STEAM classes, community schools, computer science education, arts education, and expand linked learning models and career pathways. We will end the school to prison pipeline by opposing discipline policies which disproportionately affect students of color and students with disabilities and by supporting the use of restorative justice practices that help students and staff resolve conflicts peacefully and respectfully while K-12 Amendments to Dem Platform: Charters, Testing, Curriculum, and Discipline – Cloaking Inequity